Court Hey Park can be traced back to 1783 when it was a farmer's field forming part of the estate of Lord Derby.

Robertson Gladstone married Mary Ellen Heywood-Jones in January 1836 and the mansion house, Court Hey Hall, was built the same year in the 60-acre (240,000 m2) walled estate.

Football, tennis, bowls and cricket were played in the park, while the hall was used for ballroom dances, billiards and other social activities.

During the Second World War, part of the estate including the stable block was requisitioned by the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Foods and used as a quarantine station.

From the late 1940s Liverpool Pembroke, an athletic and cycling club, also used the park as a base until redevelopment forced them to move in the 1960s.